


A Little Bit of Sympathy Goes a Long Way

by LollingCat



Series: Inky Mystery Fics [3]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-19 16:40:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20660372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LollingCat/pseuds/LollingCat
Summary: This story is based off of the Upper!Bendy AU originally created by SpectorOdyssey! The AU is based off of Bendy and Boris in the Inky Mystery by ThisAnimatedPhantom, of course :) Which was based off of Bendy and Boris: the Quest for the Inky Machine!





	1. Run In

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SpectorOdyssey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpectorOdyssey/gifts), [ThisAnimatedPhantom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisAnimatedPhantom/gifts), [Mercowe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mercowe/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Bendy and Boris in The Inky Mystery](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10726146) by [Mercowe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mercowe/pseuds/Mercowe), [ThisAnimatedPhantom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisAnimatedPhantom/pseuds/ThisAnimatedPhantom). 
**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah! First part:) The first parts are really just fun fluff!

**Part One: Run In**

His heart was pounding, like it always was. He ducked around the houses and alleyways of the Upper. His light, bleached fur helped him blend better into the bright environment around him. His tail swayed anxiously behind him, the familiar sting at the tip of his tail still a bother to him. It hurt every time the injury at the tip of his tail was exposed to something new.

But that was a small price to pay for blending into the Upper. With his tail spike torn off, angels were less likely to put two and two together and realize there was a young demon in their marvelous home.

Bleached fur, ruffled hair, ripped off spike, filed down horns, all just so he would be less noticeable. It had been his entire life, hiding and running and worrying and fearing for the moment an angel would realize he was their most hated enemy- a demon- and slay him without mercy.

The demon heads propped on the houses of some angels' houses near the outskirts was a grim reminder of what his fate could be. He never let himself talk to an angel that long. If he did, they might realize something was up. So he moved from area to area, not letting anyone get too familiar with him past "ah, there's that stray cat again".

He didn't like how close he was to the Sanctuary. Sure, he was technically a good ways away, but it was still too  _ close.  _ More important angels, more  _ dangerous  _ angels would live around these parts. He shivered at the thought of meeting an angel from the Council. He tried to remember all of their names, their occupations, and their descriptions based on what he could glean from idle angel chatter and gossip.

He gazed among the few angels that were out today, trying to pick out which ones had a haughtier, snobbier or more condescending air to them so he could avoid them. He slinked along the back alleys, where the angels rarely ever went, where shadows were allowed to reach. Not too much in trash cans at this time, and he didn’t feel safe begging for scraps so close to the Sanctuary.

The young demon ducked into a more vacant area. A place where he could breath and let some of his worries dissolve before it was back to wild nerves. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, taking in some crisp, fresh air, before exhaling. He allowed himself to step away from the sanctity and security of the walls. It raised alarms in his head, made his fur stand on end, to not have his back against the wall. What if something approached from behind him? What if he was cut off from the hiddenness of the alleys? But he pushed them away, just for a moment, to let himself feel like he was safe.

He glanced around what seemed like a park, although it didn’t have anything fancy to it. A place angel kids might frolic in for a second. Luckily, there didn’t seem to be any around right now. He stepped around a tree, eager to have a moment of peace, only to crash right into something.

He yelped and jumped backwards, immediately shouting out a “I’m so sorry!” because, even if it was an inanimate object, it was better to be safe than sorry and  _ not  _ offend any angel. He hunched down his posture to make himself appear smaller than he already was and less threatening, which he was definitely not at all threatening in any manner. Maybe against a mouse, but not an angel!

“Oh- errm… Sorry, hi?” A young, light voice responded, telling him he  _ had  _ run into an angel. He hesitantly gazed up at her. Angel kids were better than adults, in some cases. The more loud and rambunctious ones brought attention to him, but they never really harbored any suspicion or ill-will towards a ‘kitty’ like him.

“U-Uh, m-meow?” He choked out, trying to settle down his rapid heart from the startling introduction he had with her.

The angel girl blinked her dark eyes at him, tilting her head to the side, long black hair falling over her shoulders. “Oh, hello, kitten. What are you doing here? What’s your name?”

“B- uh, Fro- F-Fluffy?” He stumbled over his names. He had a name, one he barely remembered because he kept giving himself a new nickname every time he talked to someone. Had to make sure he stayed “stray kitty” and not “Bendy”.

“Fluffy?” She asked. He nodded slowly, making sure none of his movements were too quick. “Are you sure? You stumbled over it.”

“O-oh well, I go by many names, whatever name works, really…” Bendy responded. He never wanted to lie in front of angels. A lie could end badly. They always talked about demons being dishonest, manipulative creatures, and he wanted to separate him and “demons” as much as possible. So he tried not to lie about anything other than letting them believe he was a cat. He spoke in half-truths or avoided topics and questions as best he could.

“Really?” She echoed, curious like all kids were…. Well, every kid except for Bendy. He was just afraid. “So what are your other names? Why do you have different names?"

“Um, any name works, I guess… And I have different names, ‘cause, uh, I… want to? Never, um, had a need for one,” Bendy mumbled out, trying to speak quietly, but also clearly so he wouldn’t make her upset.

“Why wouldn’t you have a need for a name? My name’s Alice. Everyone calls me Alice. How do people know who you are?” She asked question after question, confident. Which was good and bad. Bad because she’d force more and more out of him, and good because if she had that child’s confidence then it wasn’t a smug confidence that could get him in trouble quick.

And… Alice? Alice. He had heard that name mentioned a few times before. He tried to think of anything closely associated with her name, but couldn’t recall anything. Well, if he had heard her name more than once, that already put him on high alert. Or maybe there were a few different angels with the name Alice? An Allison, Ally?

Bendy shrugged nervously. “Don’t talk to a lot of people, I guess.”

“Oh,” Alice said. “That’s sad.”

He shifted on his feet, tail swaying anxiously behind him. “M-maybe. I dunno. I’m used to it. I-It’s fine.” It was better if he didn’t talk to many angels. The less known about him, the better.

Alice frowned, almost like a pout with the way she jutted out her bottom lip and tilted her head to one side. She seemed to want to say something, but his stomach chose that moment to be noisy, letting out a low rumble as though he didn’t already know he was hungry.

“Are you hungry? My brother has some snacks, if you want some. We just have to find him first,” she suggested innocently. A fearful knot twisted inside Bendy’s stomach. More angels nearby? That wouldn’t be good.

He quickly shook his head. “No, no, it’s fine. I’m not all that hungry.” He took a step back. “I-I have to go some- somewhere anyway.” He gestured vaguely behind him.

“Oh, okay,” the angel responded, a bit disappointed, but not all that fazed. “Can we talk again, though, Fluffy? I wanna learn about your other names.”

He was startled for a second. What did he say? He didn’t think saying no would offend her all that much, but he didn’t want to be rude… “Oh, uh-um, I g-guess if I’m around here, w-we can talk…”

She brightened up, grinning and eyes shining. “Okay! I’ll stop bye here after school whenever I can, kitty! Oh! Is Kitty one of your names?”

He smiled meekly. “Sure.”

“Okay! Bye, Kitty!” She waved him away as he turned and left. The moment he was sure he was out of her sight, he bolted back to the alleyways, breathing deeply, heart beating like the wings of a butterfly trapped in a cage. He pressed his back up against the wall, shaking.

She seemed nice, but that didn’t matter. If any angel found out he was a demon, he was done for. And as much as he’d like to have a ‘friend’, demons didn’t  _ do  _ friends.

And unfortunately for him, he was a demon.


	2. His Name

**Part Two: His Name**

“Hmm, lemme guess, Darky? Lighty? Snowy?”

A shake of the head. “No. You’ve already guessed those ones before.”

A dramatic groan in response. “Oh, come on, just tell me already!”

He smiled, genuine, as the angel moped. He leaned calmly against a tree, spikeless tail flicking contendly. “Try harder.”

It was always mind-blowing to him how he could have made friends with an angel. Not only was it dangerous, but it was also unimaginable. Demons and angels didn’t mix. They were nothing but enemies. Not allies, associates, friends, buddies, or whatever else. Some angels killed demons with pride, and from what he knew, all demons would happily kill an angel. So how did he end up chatting on the edges of the park with an angel?

Well, it had taken almost a year to get to this point. When he had first ran into Alice, he had bolted immediately after, moving quickly onto the next area. It had been a month or so until he finally circled back, and had the unfortunate luck of running into her again while he was digging through a trash can. And she remembered him! Not only was it incredibly suspicious that he was rummaging through trash, but it was embarrassing as well!

She had asked if he was hungry again, and then when he said not that much, she had asked if one of his names was Trashy…. He was used to the gnawing fear he had around angels who asked so many questions, but never had he been so embarrassed and uncertain as to what to do. It was a wiggling, burning feeling that made him duck his head in shame rather than fear.

But she had smiled understandingly and kept on talking passed his awkwardness, inquiring about his other names again. He had humored the conversation for awhile, before someone had started calling her name and he bolted once again. This time, he had glimpsed her the next day, although he said nothing because she was with a group of friends. Their next interaction was almost a week later. That one hadn’t been anything special, and was very short since her sister was there.

And then it was another month because he had gotten scared of her family… She mentioned an older brother named Isaac, and Bendy recognized that name. One of the angels he should definitely try to avoid, strong ties to the Council, soon to be apart of it. Or maybe he already was.

Their interactions had been scarce, but Alice kept popping up at the most inconvenient times, asking about his other names, what he was doing, what the Surface was like, if she could feel his fur, and other various questions. Some were easy to answer, others he stumbled over and had to dodge, like the Surface question. He had never been on the Surface before, but would it be suspicious if he said that? Probably? So he just shrugged and said it was fine.

Alice seemed to be one of those types who just got along well with everyone. She talked with Bendy like it was normal, made jokes and puns- something he had never heard of before then, and showed a kindness greater than that of pitying angels who'd toss him a slice of bread.

Friendship- it was… different than he expected. He's always seen the friendships between angels, the difference between the adults, teens and kids' friendships. The comradery, the laughter, the helpfulness, the loyalty, the inside jokes he'd never get… he'd always wanted a friend, even though he knew how dangerous it would be.

And now he had a friend.

And the bubbliness of laughter he had never heard from himself had come out. He got lighter, happier, open and free, around her, once he got past the wariness and fear. He felt a lot of new things. New things different from the fear and paranoia, the worry and terror, the dread and the hopelessness. The starvation and exhaustion. He felt happiness- not the happiness of living another day, or the joy of finding an apple with only one bite in it, but the happiness of… of friendship, he guessed. Of silliness, of laughter.

He also felt shame, embarrassment and nervousness whenever he did something stupid or strange. He felt curious about her life, rather than scared of it. He felt calmness, or at least, a sense of tranquility he had never had before, when they just relaxed together, here at the park, with her rambling off about "Jake this" or "Micheal that".

He also felt guilty. So very, very guilty.

Because he was lying to her about being a cat. And he felt very bad about it. Not  _ bad  _ like he was scared he would get caught- which he still very much was- but he felt guilty that he hadn't told her the truth. Friends told the truth to each other. They didn't hide secrets. At least, he didn't think friends did. Alice mentioned one girl who was her friend but that she didn't tell secrets because then she'd tell everyone else. But Bendy thought that Alice's version of friends depended on the person. Those weren't friends who were as close as friends as someone like Jake was to her.

Bendy would like to say he was one of her close friends-  _ best  _ friend, even. She was to him. But… she had a lot of friends. And family. And Jake was already her best friend.

Bendy would be lying if he said he wasn't a little jealous. Jealous of what exactly?... Maybe it was that Alice had so many friends, and he wanted a lot too, or maybe he was jealous of Jake and Alice's other close friends because he wanted to be her closest friend.

But they hadn't even known each other that long despite how it felt to him. She still didn't know his  _ real  _ name. That was one of their "inside jokes", which is why he had let it go on for so long. He didn't want to let go of the joke that had really started their whole friendship.

"Catty!" Alice guessed excitedly. "I haven't guessed that one before!"

"Actually you have." Bendy smiled, tilting his head. "And why do you assume it has to end in a 'y'?"

"Because all of your other names do, Fluff _ y _ !" Then his words clicked and she gasped. "Wait, no, does it really not end in a 'y'? But then that'll be so many more names to guess."

"I'll save you the headache. It does end in a 'y'." He hesitated. Was he really going to give her his name? "It's Bendy."

She stared for a moment, before it registered. "Bendy, huh? I definitely wouldn't have guessed that." She smiled at him. "That's a cool name!"

A… cool name? He had never even heard that before. Did angels often compliment each other's names? Was that a thing? Should he have complimented her name when he first met her?

His mouth hung open lamely as he struggled for words, his face flushing in embarrassment. What did he say in response? "Uh-uhm, th-thank you? I- uh, y-your name is cool too…"

She grinned at him. "It is! I rather like my name. Do you like your own name? Is that why you have many? 'Cause you don't like your normal name?"

Didn't like his own name? ...He had never really heard someone else call him by his original name before… before Alice… He had never thought about liking or hating it… Just making sure angels didn't know it… But… but… hearing his name coming from Alice's lips… He thought he rather liked how it sounded.

He smiled timidly. "I like my name."


	3. A Pun

**Part Three: A Pun**

One of Alice's favorite things about Bendy, it seemed, was petting him like he was a fluffy little kitten. The first time she had asked if she could pet his cheeks, he had been caught off guard. To be honest he was afraid of her touch. It was a mix of fear- a fear of being hit, of being found out as a demon, a fear of a touch feeling bad or awkward, a fear of something new… But, the second time she asked, he let her pet him. Just the top of his head and his cheeks. Whenever she got too close to his horns- his "ears"- he would freak out. He tried not to, because he didn't want to scare her or make her suspicious, but she seemed to pick up on his distraught and stayed away from his horns.

The touch at first felt foreign, and odd, and not at all right. But, then, it got a little better. And when she asked again, and again, he got more used to it, and he even started to enjoy being pet. Maybe it was because the little scratches she liked to do felt really nice, or because it made him happy to see how happy she got petting him.

Although, he felt a little self-conscious when she commented on how messy, tangled and greasy his fur was. He had always known he wasn't as clean and pristine as angels were, but now he was conscious of trying not to go into muddy or dirty alleys, straying away from murky puddles. He even stole a few buckets of water to clean off the grease and grim.

He noticed he had started doing a lot of things for his only friend. Trying to be cleaner, fluffing up his hair more, making sure he had just eaten before visiting her so she wouldn't get worried that he wasn't eating, trying to listen to more jokes that angels said to each other, and, the one that was definitely dangerous, he had stayed in the same area for far too long.

Yes, he changed his sleeping and hiding spots often, going further out, but he made sure he was not more than a day's walk away from the park he and Alice met at. He was afraid the angels might start recognizing him more. He already knew some of Alice's family and friends knew about him- either because she had mentioned him or they had spotted him with her. He had talked with her eldest brother, older sister, and one of her friends. But only very briefly. He had left as quickly as he could, terrified out of his mind and heart beating wildly.

Alice picked up pretty quickly that he didn't seem to like 'big crowds'. That was something Bendy really liked about her. She picked up things about him very quickly, so he didn't have to explain himself or ask for something. Although, her ability to pick up on things might not be the best if she ended up realizing he was a rogue demon living off of trash, scraps and leftovers in the Upper.

Still, he liked the silent communication they had sometimes. She might like her questions, and talking about her life, but she respected his secrecy and shyness.

And right now, he was sitting beside Alice, at the edge of the park, of course. She was rambling on about something silly her teacher had done in class today. Bendy made sure to listen to every detail. He had no idea what it was like inside a classroom, much less had he really known what school was for past 'a good education'. He didn't really know what the word 'education' meant, but he thought it meant 'learning'.

The angel shifted a bit as she spoke, waving her hands about to emphasize the story she was telling. Halfway through the story, she dropped one of her hands, holding it out near him. She continued chatting on normally, but Bendy knew what she wanted.

With a small smile on his face, he leaned forward and placed the side of his head in her hand. She grinned at him, pausing her story for a moment before continuing on, stroking and brushing his fluffy fur as she did. He closed his eyes and let himself get distracted by her petting and her voice. It was always so nice to just relax. For once in his life he could say he truly felt peaceful and happy. No fear or worry hanging over his head, at least, not right now. He felt safe. This was  _ his  _ spot. Here, at the edge of the park near the start of the alleyways, where most angels didn't go except for in the mornings or on weekends, sitting with Alice.

But, he felt a spike of paranoia when Alice suddenly stopped talking, her hand frozen. He jerked upwards, glancing around, his heart beating. There was no one around- her brother and his friend were nearby, but still not that close- so why had she frozen up? Had she suddenly realized he was a demon? Had he done something wrong? Had he missed something?

He managed to stutter out a, "Wh-what's wrong?"

The angel blinked her dark eyes. "Sorry, it's just-... You were purring."

It took a moment for him to put two-and-two together… he… had been purring? Purring. The sound that cats made whenever they were happy. He had mimicked the sound once or twice, just to practice being more "cat-like", but he had never…  _ actually _ purred before.

His face flushed, not knowing how he should feel about that, but knowing he  _ did _ feel very embarrassed. "O-oh, um, s-sorry. I-I didn't mean to…"

Alice seemed to brighten up, smiling comfortingly at him. "Don't be, Kitty! That's the first time I've heard you purr. You should do it more often. It's very…" She paused for a moment, tilting her head and struggling for a word, before she settled on, "Cute."

She had called him cute and adorable plenty of times before. But for some reason, this time, it made him heat up and squirm with both embarrassment and… something he couldn't quite place.

"Th-thanks," he squeaked out, like he always did when she complimented him. He never knew quite how to respond. But then, something in his brain just clicked, and he remembered something he had gleaned from a conversation between two angels. "I always thought my purr was very  _ purrfect. _ "

Alice's eyes widened, and he thought he had done something wrong for a moment, before she squealed excitedly, suddenly launching herself at him and wrapping him in a tight hug. She had hugged him once before, but it was more of a quick side-hug, not a full-on squeeze.

"You punned!" She cheered joyfully. "That was your first pun! How  _ punderful!  _ That was great, Fluffy!"

Bendy blinked at her enthusiastic reaction, before slowly returning the hug, a low purr rumbling in his throat.

How punderful indeed.


	4. Hunger

**Part Four: Hunger**

Bendy found himself peering out of the alley, watching the angel kids laugh and chase each other in the park. It was a morning at the start of a weekend. Maybe it was a celebration or holiday of some sort. A family get together. But there were a lot of angels out today. He didn't normally meet with Alice over weekends- he was too afraid of getting caught.

But, today, he wanted something to take his mind off the hunger that had devoured his empty stomach. So he had instinctively went to their spot. The abundance of children in the park had stopped him from leaving the alley. Now, he just watched them, eyeing their snacks and wishing he had the confidence to snatch an apple or sandwich. But that was too risky, of course. He would never dare.

He let out a soundless sigh, something he had learned to do so he wouldn’t draw attention to himself with noise. He flicked his spikeless tail before turning around and walking deeper into the light shadows of the alleyway. He jumped up on top of a pile of boxes he liked messing with and rearranging into different patterns when he was bored. Well, not bored, he didn’t have time to be ‘bored’. Just, hungry with nothing else to do. He flicked his tail back and forth, playing with the necklace around his neck, rolling it between his fingers. His stomach growled viciously, and he jabbed his elbow into it to try and get it to shut up. It didn’t silence his stomach, merely sent faded ripples of pain running through him. He groaned, shutting his eyes close and shifting around. He could try and catch a few minutes of sleep, at least.

He had just began to drift off when he heard the soft clicking of shoes on a hard, cold surface. He jerked upwards, eyes quickly adjusting to the light. He immediately, and quietly, scrambled backwards, hiding behind his boxes, crouching down and thanking his small stature for hiding him so well.

The footsteps got closer. They didn’t sound heavy, so most likely they were a kid from the park. But why were they adventuring in the alleys? He heard the footsteps pause, and he stayed low, heart beating sporadically. Pegasus feathers, he had gotten too comfortable around these parts. He should have had his guard up! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

“...Bendy?” A velvety voice murmured into the alley. The demon’s body jerked upwards in response to the familiar voice before he stopped himself. Alice? Was that Alice? But what was she doing here? Why would she go into the alleys? Was he mistaken? Was it someone else? No one else knew his real name.

There was a silence, before Alice seemed to turn and begin walking away. Bendy jumped onto his feet, moving around the boxes.

“Alice?” He called out to the angel. She stopped and turned around, with that same familiar bright smile she always had when she saw him.

“Bendy! I thought you would be here. You always go here whenever one of us has to leave.” She trotted towards him.

“What are you doing here?” Bendy asked.

“I wanted to give you this,” Alice said. She lifted her hand to show him a… sandwich. In perfect shape, like it was just made, with the crust cut off. A stereotypical peanut butter and jelly. It made his stomach rumble.

"Uh- w-why?" He stammered out, confused, even as his mouth watered. His face flushed at his noisy stomach. He hadn't eaten in so long. Should he even question why? He should just be grateful for the free food. But he couldn't help but feel puzzled, with a mix of worry and his familiar pal embarrassment. How did Alice know he was starving?

"I always see you scrounging through leftovers. I've seen you eat a rotten apple before," the angel responded. "And your stomach always rumbles. You must be hungry."

She had seen that? He blushed brightly, face hot. What else had she seen? How much did she know about his life? He tried not to talk about the fact that he was a "stray cat" practically living off of chewed gum on the bottoms of angels' shoes.

"Oh, you didn't, um, you didn't need to, Alice. I-I'm fine. And it's  _ your  _ sandwich, anyway," Bendy stuttered out. He should just accept the sandwich. It was free food, and he  _ was  _ hungry. Alice was being kind. He shouldn't deny her offer. But, still, he felt… uncomfortably embarrassed about the entire situation.

"Yeah, it's my sandwich, and I'm giving it to you, so it's yours now, Fluffy. Besides," Alice shrugged. "I can just get another one. You can't."

Bendy stared at her for a moment, frozen in surprise. Alice stared right back at him, unblinkingly, holding out the sandwich.

The young demon's spikeless tail twitched, and he shyly looked away as he reached out to grab the sandwich from her. He couldn't argue with her logic… "Thank you," he mumbled out, face practically on fire.

Alice smiled, that same familiar joyful, warm, welcoming and beautiful smile she always gave him. The one that always brightened his day, no matter how bad it was.

"You're welcome, Kitty." The angel blinked and glanced behind her. "But I gotta leave before Isaac or Mary come looking for me. See you later, Bendy, okay?"

"Okay," he echoed, nodding as they waved goodbye and she walked out of the alleys.

He glanced down at the sandwich-  _ his  _ sandwich, stomach growling viciously. Tentatively, he nibbled on the edges, before taking larger bites.

For some reason he couldn't place, the sandwich tasted much better than anything else he had ever had before.


	5. Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst ahead.

**Part Five: Revealed**

Bendy let a laugh slide heartily out of his throat. "I can't believe you did that."

"Yep, Jake definitely wasn't expecting it," the angel chuckled, beaming with pride as finished explaining her latest prank to Bendy.

"I don't understand why he isn't paranoid all the time. Surely he knows to expect these pranks from you now!" The demon's tail swayed contentedly as he smiled, walking beside Alice.

"Oh, he is! But I always find new ways to trick him up!" She grinned.

"Of course you do!" He laughed again.

These were the simple, joyful moments in life that had become almost daily for Bendy. He and Alice still met up at the edge of the park, most days, but now they had picked up a habit of walking through the alleyways together ever since Alice had given him that sandwich a little over a month ago. Alice knew he didn't like being out in the open of the public's eye, and she didn't seem to mind at all wandering through the dark and trashed alleys, dirting her shiny shoes.

Bendy was lucky to have met such a kind-hearted and understanding angel. He couldn't imagine a world in which he hadn't met her, and hadn't been best friends with her. Well, at least, one where she hadn't been Bendy's  _ only  _ friend, seeing as he didn't exactly have any other friends. But, still, he was grateful. He never wanted to give up this friendship they had, however small, or silly, or embarrassing it could be.

He just wished he could show how grateful he was past listening to her talk about her life as they walked through darkness full of dirt and grim and a lack of other beings around.

Walking through alleyways together wasn't exactly the most "friendship-y" thing, Bendy thought. Friends always hung out together at each other's houses, or went out in groups to go watch acrobatic angels fly and twirl around, or something. At least, that was what Bendy had observed most 'friends' doing.

"You should have  _ seen  _ Jake's face when-"

Bendy halted to a stop as he heard a sharp creaking noise ring around them. Alice stopped mid-sentence, pausing as well, turning to him curiously, wondering why he stopped walking. His body tensed and he glanced around warily for any signs of danger.

He relaxed when nothing showed itself. His tail swayed out behind him. He was used to the sounds of the alleyways. They often meant nothing of danger, but Bendy made sure he was always alert nevertheless.

"Sorry, I was just being overly cautious. You were saying?"

Or perhaps he wasn't.

Because in the next moment a platform above them's bolt fell loose, and it suddenly veered downwards, the contents on it flying towards the demon and the angel. And of cussing course it couldn't just be a forgotten potted plant or old toys left out. It had to be boxes full of whatever heavy objects the angels had stored away on that platform.

"Alice!" Bendy yelled out as the girl stared wide-eyed at the falling boxes. Move! She had to move! Horsefeathers!

Shadows withered around them, suddenly lurching upward to create a dark dome above Alice, shielding her from the heavy boxes. A box slammed into the shadowy barrier, contents spilling out and rolling to the side. Bendy hissed as he struggled to keep the shadows from breaking and retreating.

Stardust and broken halos! He never used his shadows, like, ever! He had no idea how to control them! He just had to make sure Alice was okay!

The last of the boxes slammed against the shadows and dropped to the ground with thuds. Bendy gasped and let the shadows drop, allowing them to return back to their original spots. He rushed forwards toward Alice, grabbing her arm as worried panic rushed through him, tightening his chest to the point where it felt hard to breath.

"Alice! Are you okay? Nothing hit you, right? You're okay? Alice? Alice!" She stared numbly back at him, her mouth partly opened and her arms loose at her sides with shock. "Alice, are you okay?" Bendy repeated, growing more worried at her lack of response. Stars, she hadn't been hit, had she? No. She hadn't. She had to just be scared, or, or startled, or something!

"You're not… You're not…" Alice stammered out breathing as her body began to shake.

A sudden, horrifying realization shot through Bendy as he felt an overwhelming dread grab his heart.

He had used his shadows.

His eyes would be red.

He let go of Alice's arm, stepping wobbly backwards, feeling like he could just collapse right there. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes while his chest tightened with anxiety and  _ fear.  _

"Please don't tell anyone. They'll kill me," he whispered out, shaking.

Alice stared at him for a moment longer, that same terrified expression he had never seen before on her face. One that he hated that he had caused.

Then, the angel spun around and bolted without another word.

A violent sob forced its way out of his throat as the tears began flowing hotly down his cheeks. His legs crumbled under him. He curled into a ball on the ground as his body wracked with disgusting sobs. He had never cried so harshly in his life, unable to see past the blurry wetness of his own tears.

He was a cussing idiot. Being friends with an angel? Yeah right, no way in hell- especially no way in the  _ Upper.  _ He was a starfallen fool.

And he was going to die for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, right here is most definitely where Bendy would realistically be killed. But I wanted to write what would happen if he wasn't so-... I did that XD


	6. Sympathy

**Part Six: Sympathy**

She watched as the young demon child hung limply in the grasp of an angel warrior. His tail, spikeless, with a scar at the tip and the edges patched with darker fur, drooped down sadly. His eyes, dark and dull now compared to their usual nervous yet joyful look, were full of sorrowful acceptance as they stared blankly at the floor. His arms and legs were like noodles at his sides. He was being grasped at the scruff of his neck like he was no more than a mutt.

But he wasn't a mutt. Or a cat.

He was a demon.

The worst thing a toon could ever be. A liar, a criminal, a murderer, sometimes even no more than a wild animal. Demons only looked out for themselves. They cared nothing for anyone else. You were merely stepping stones they'd use to cross a river. Demons were awful, the worst, the complete opposite of angels.

And this demon… had lied to her. He lied to her, said he was a cat. Their entire friendship had been nothing but a big fat, bold-faced lie.

Every joke they'd shared, every laugh they'd had, every time she would rant to him about her school friends or siblings, everything was meaningless.

And now, here she was, going to watch his- most likely- murder.

And she felt… bad.

After she had ran home to tell her parents there was a demon in their midst, her father had told her to stay put, but she had followed her mother, trailing behind her like a lost puppy. Because she felt lost. She didn't know what she felt. She didn't know what to do. She was so confused. Conflicted.

So, now, she clung onto her mother's skirt, hiding behind her while angels gathered around and growled at the demon kid. They wanted him dead, they wanted him tortured and interrogated to see how he had gotten into the Upper, they wanted war on the demons for planting a spy in their home.

"I thought he seemed rather nice, a bit shy," Alice's sister, Mary, was murmuring.

"I always thought he was suspicious," Luke, her older brother, huffed.

And that was the most common word thrown around from the angels who had seen Bendy before- "Suspicious". As if they didn't want to admit he had tricked them all. Fooled them all into believing he was an innocent, hungry little stray cat.

He had fooled Alice into believing he was an innocent, funny, shy, good-hearted, hungry little stray cat.

That is, until, she saw his red eyes.

Burning, glowing, bright crimson red eyes searing into her very soul, terrifying her whole being. The same red eyes she had been warned of by her teachers, mentors, parents, by everyone. The red eyes of demons.

She had been so, so horrified. A demon. And she had been…  _ talking  _ to him. Walking with him, laughing with him, like he was a  _ friend  _ when he was nothing but angelkind's most devious and blood-thirsty foe.

But those eyes were merely red in color.

In emotion? They had been swelling with panic, worry glittering like stars as he asked her over and over if she was okay, if she was harmed. He seemed so genuine in his concern for her. Could he really be faking?

Could he really be faking if he had saved her at risk of revealing his secret?

Could he really be faking all those times when he would lean against her, half-asleep, and unknowingly start purring that cute, rumbly purr Alice absolutely adored? Those times he would stumble over a pun or joke and Alice would laugh, and he'd flush and duck his head but keep smiling at her? Could he fake all those times his stomach would growl out for food and he'd try to hide it? Could he really, actually fake waiting beside their spot, glancing around nervously, tail flicking, and then becoming as bright as the sun when he spotted her? He was just a kid, like her.

"Wait," she called out gently, breaking up the harsh chatter about killing deceptive demons. The adult angels paused and glanced at the young girl as she clung tighter to her mother's skirt. Alice's throat seemed to close up as she struggled for words to defend her friend. Was she really going to defend a  _ demon?  _ "He- He protected me…"

"What do you mean, Alice?" One of the older angel women asked politely, blinking her large lashes at her.

"He used his, um, shadows, to… t-to stop heavy boxes from hitting me," Alice murmured. Well, it sounded so dumb when she said it like that.

"Oh, sweetie," her mother began softly, resting her hand on her daughter's head. "He's a demon. He can't be trusted. He was manipulating you so he could get close to the Council and learn our secrets."

Was he? Alice glanced at Bendy. He had perked up, staring at Alice when she had started speaking. He seemed… surprised, and confused… and… maybe a bit hopeful.

No. He certainly couldn't have just been using her because of her connection to the Council. She still remembered, even if it had been so long ago, when he had panicked at her mentions of the Council, and her older brother, Isaac. She didn't talk about the Council often because of his apparent fear of it.

Alice swallowed the lump in her throat. "He's a kid." She stared up into her mother's eyes. "He's the same age as me." Maybe. Roughly. She had never actually asked for his age, she had just assumed.

"That doesn't matter," some angel barked out. "It's a  _ demon.  _ A monster! Kill it already!" Chants of agreement rang out amongst the crowd.

"No!" Alice yelled, feeling her chest tighten as her heart thudded with fear. They couldn't kill him! They couldn't kill her friend-  _ They couldn't kill Fluffy! _

"Alice, calm down," her mother said. "I know it might be hard to understand, but that demon was lying to you. He was never your friend."

_ 'But he  _ was!' Her mind screamed defiantly. A part of her wanted to shut up. Demons  _ were  _ liars- maybe she really had just been fooled that badly. Blinded to his manipulation. But she couldn't stop now, looking at Bendy's miserable yet hopeful face.

"He could be useful!" Alice cried out desperately. If they wouldn't listen to her attempts to defend him, maybe they would listen to something a little more… reasonable.

"Useful?" One of the angel guards blinked. "How?"

"He's a demon, a-and a young one at that." What was she doing? She was just making stuff up as she went. No way they would listen to her. Bendy would be slaughtered any second. "M-Maybe the demons would want one of their children back? You could use him to blackmail the demons."

A few of the angels murmured thoughtfully, while others snorted and rolled their eyes.

"Demon care nothing of their own! They don't care what happens to this  _ thing. _ " A majority seemed to agree with whomever said this.

"But she does have a point- it  _ is  _ a child. Can we really stoop to a demon's level and kill a child?" And whoever said  _ this  _ stirred up a controversy that quickly spread like wildfire throughout the crowd. Even Alice's own mother got caught up in the discussion on whether or not they would be as low as a demon if they killed Bendy.

"It will grow up to be our enemy," an angel argued.

"But  _ will  _ he?" Alice quickly shot back, heart beating rapidly as she argued against adults. "What if we raise him to be our enemy's enemy?"

Her idea was met with confusion, at first, then scoffed and dismissed, before a few of the younger adults found the idea intriguing and ran with it.

"Would it not be cool to have a pet demon?" One of the younger teens said to his friends.

"Imagine how shocked those horn-heads will be when  _ they  _ attack  _ us  _ and we sick one of their own on them!" One of the teen's friends added.

"He could provide valuable information against demons if we could use him against his own kind," one of the older angels suggested to another.

"Even if we can't train him, we could learn more about demon weaknesses and vulnerabilities by monitoring how he fights. He's too young and inexperienced to really put up much of a fight, so it's not like he'd harm anybody 'cept himself."

To Alice's surprise, the majority of the crowd had switched from "Murder!" to "Train him!". So, he would live! Bendy would live! They wouldn't kill him! Surely, they wouldn't!

Her heart soared happily as she smiled, relieved. She looked back at Bendy. The light-furred demon was staring around in shock at the angels, as if perplexed they had not yet killed him. His mouth hung agap. Slowly, his gaze turned back to Alice, and he seemed to jolt as she stared back at him with a smile and tears pricking her eyes. His tail tip twitched before he winced and glanced guiltily away from her, tears swarming in his eyes.

Huh? Why was he sad? He was going to live! He would be okay! Alice wanted so badly to run up and comfort him, wrap him in a hug and tell him everything would be alright now.

"Alright, enough talk," the angel holding Bendy said gruffly. "This runt's fate will be decided by Hannah and the Council."

Alice felt her heart drop. So, Bendy wasn't out of the clear yet.

But he had a chance.

And Alice was going to do everything she could to make sure that chance happened.


	7. Tears

**Part Seven: Tears**

A year. A starfallen year.  _ That  _ is how long it took Alice to  _ finally  _ speak to Bendy again.

Her entire day-to-day schedule had been rearranged out of fear she'd grown too close to the demon. It had been a chaotic hassle to deal with all the sudden changes. She was forced to hang out with her friends nearly every waking moment, as if to try and force her friendship with Bendy out of her mind completely. Everywhere she went, she was monitored by an older angel, even two or three. Some would say it was because they didn't want her kind heart to be manipulated by that dastardly low-life demon again, while others would mumble under their breath that she was a "demon-lover" who would fight to have Bendy be freed back to hell where he could reveal all of their secrets to the Devil.

But she didn't care what they said. ...Most of the time. But! Most of the time all she wanted to do was make sure Bendy was  _ okay.  _ She  _ knew  _ they weren't treating him well, of course. He was a demon! But, she just wanted to make sure he wasn't about to drop dead on his feet. Just  _ something _ to prove he was okay rather than the words of other biased angels'. Then she'd be fine and… maybe she'd stop worrying and focusing on him so much and be able to be a "normal" angel again and not the angel everyone had to watch because they were afraid she was still somehow being manipulated by a demon child who she hadn't even talked to for a  _ year. _

Well, anyway, she had played it as cool as she could. She remained as neutral as she could on the subject of their new "demon pet" as some of the rambunctious teenage boys called him. She tried not to show too much interest in him, or what was going on with him. The most suspicious things she'd done were show up to his "training sessions" a few times when she could, but she made sure she looked as cold and distant and uninterested as possible… at least, she hoped. It was pretty hard when his training consisted of an angel warrior practically bullying a demon child.

She'd watched him get his feet swept out from under him, punched in the face while an angel sneered at him because he "needed to get better at blocking", thrown across the room and then laughed at because he was so small and light.

Which was probably because he hadn't exactly had a lot to eat out on the streets.

Now that Alice had time to really reflect- a whole year, in fact, had she mentioned that?-, she realized how hard Bendy's life must have been living and cowering in the alleys of the Upper. Why his stomach growled so often, why he never talked about his own life much, why he never told her he was not a cat, but a demon.

And now Alice felt really guilty for telling everyone he was a demon right after he had saved her life- or at least saved her some head trauma- because she had been scared of some little red eyes that had been so concerned for her own well-being. He had nearly been killed because she tattled on him. His life had depended on that secret. And she had blown his cover before he even had a chance to explain.

Or "manipulate" her, as the others would put it. Because of course they would.

Well, now Alice had managed to find a break in her schedule, and was watching one of Bendy's training sessions again. Or, rather, she was waiting for the end of it.

Which came right after the angel warrior punched him in the face, insisting, again, that he needed to dodge better, quicker. Then, two other guards came up and began to drag Bendy away, even though they knew full well that he could walk, and would willingly and compliantly do so, back to his cage. Or at least, they called it his cage. Alice knew he had been taken out of his previous holding cell and into a room closer to his training arena and the labs, but that the room wasn't exactly… room-y.

She caught Bendy's sullen gaze as he glanced towards her, blood dripping down the side of his face. Alice, despite how much her heart ached to comfort him and give him a sign of hope, kept her face stoic and cold in case anyone was watching her. He quickly looked away, nearly making Alice's heart break into a million pieces.

How could the angels treat a child like this? They would never treat her like this, so why was it okay to do this to him?

Alice followed behind them at a great distance, doing her best to look like she had some place to be, even holding a folder full of papers for the act. She was currently not being monitored by anyone. This was her only chance to talk to him.

The guards were hardly guarding his room. They knew he was too "weak" and "pathetic" and "young" to really pose a threat by now. So, Alice easily slipped by them as they were distracted, playfully arguing over who could score a date with some chick this weekend. She walked up to Bendy's room, staring at its door. It had nothing special to it. It was just a door.

She thought about knocking, but she was afraid the noise, however quiet, might alert the guards. Instead she gingerly took ahold of the knob and twisted it.

It wasn't even locked.

She hadn't even considered the possibility of the door being locked. She knew it could be- there was a key hole on the knob- but, clearly, everyone had gone from viewing Bendy as a threat that had to be killed on sight to a pathetic little worm they could easily step on and squish. She didn't know if she should be glad, because that meant it would be easier to sneak around and see him, or upset that they treated him so.

She chose to go with a mix of both.

She pushed the door open, slipping in through the crack and closing it softly behind her. Immediately, Bendy had jerked up from his spot and stood up like his spine was a steel pole. His hands were at either sides of him because if they weren't he would be yelled at. The angels always wanted his hands to be visible, just to make sure they didn't turn into claws and suddenly stab them.

Bendy's "room" was most definitely not a "bedroom". It was simply "a room". It had walls, barren of anything, perhaps even paint, and a ceiling that had a blaring light. Clearly they didn't want him in darkness ever because "that was where demons were most powerful". Shadow demons, anyway. He at least had a bed, which was something. With no sheets, a single pillow, and a thin blanket that definitely wouldn't keep out the cold. But a bed. And he had a table that had a potted plant, dying with crumpled leaves, and a canteen that was presumably full of water. There was no tray of food though, or even a toy for entertainment.

That was it. That was the entire room.

But Alice supposed she couldn't get angry at that. He  _ was  _ their prisoner, of sorts. An infiltrator, a spy, a no-good demon. To them, at least. This room was at least better than being chained to a wall, or death.

And she didn't have time to get angry anyway. She just wanted to talk to Bendy, and make sure he was… well, he clearly wasn't okay, but she just wanted to  _ talk to him again. _

"Bendy," she breathed out. The demon blinked, his tense shoulders dissipating as he realized it was her and not some angel warrior or Council member. He stared at her with wary confusion, though, spikeless tail flicking behind him. His lips twitched as though he'd like to say something, but had learned that talking back to angels or merely asking a question would get him yelled at or hurt.

"I'm sorry," she said, not knowing what to say now that she finally had a moment alone with him. She set the folders and papers she held down on the ground, glancing away from him.

His eyes widened, his head jerking up. "Y-You're- what?"

"I'm sorry, Bendy, I really am. I was just scared when I told them. I thought you were going to kill me, when I saw your red eyes, a-and I didn't know what else to do…" She still couldn't make sense of that sudden realization that her friend was a demon, and that he had just saved her, but also that  _ he was a demon in the Upper and the authorities needed to be alerted because HE WAS A DEMON.  _ She was still so conflicted, even after a year, but she knew that she felt sorry that her telling led to this misery.

"You're… sorry?" Bendy repeated like he couldn't believe it. "But… you… you were just- I-I lied to you, wh-why would you be sorry? I-I'm the one who manipulated you."

"Manipulated? Bendy, you lied to me about one thing, and that was that you were a cat. You lied because otherwise I would have told, and you'd be dead." Did he really believe he had manipulated her? Or… had he really and Alice was being fooled once again?

He winced. "B-But that was a big lie. I'm a demon, it's in my nature to lie."

"Really? So then our entire friendship was a lie, huh? It meant nothing to you? Everytime we laughed, it was all just an act,  _ Fluffy?"  _ Alice accused, feeling bitter anger rise within her. She wasn't exactly sure what she was angry at. Just that she was.

"No!" He shouted quickly, jumping forward, distress lighting his eyes. He flinched and glanced at the door as if the guards might burst in at any second. He lowered his voice, "No, Alice, of course not. Our friendship meant ev-everything to me. I- I just- I never th-thought… I-I was an idiot and I thought we could be friends, a-and I never thought you'd f-find out I was a demon, because then you'd hate me, and- and- and I'm sorry!" Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as his lip trembled, shoulders quaking.

Alice felt her anger dissipate. Why was she yelling at him? She  _ knew  _ why he didn't tell her he was a demon. She knew how awful he was being treated. She didn't need to make it worse.

She stared at him as he fought back his tears, raising a hand and rubbing it against his eyes. What should she do? He was crying. She had never seen him cry before, even while he was getting beat up or yelled at.

Well, what did Isaac do when she cried? What did Grandmama always tell her? How did Jake always try to comfort her when she was upset?

Alice sucked in a deep breath before running up to Bendy and pulling him into a hug. He seemed to choke on a breath, going rigid. Alice tightened her arms around him, too afraid to let go. She noticed the smear of blood still on his cheek, the scratch still dripping. She brushed her finger over it.

"They didn't heal you?"

His body finally shook with a tremor. "No." He stared at her fingers as they pressed softly against his cheek, right next to the scratch. "Th-they don't want to waste energy on a cut that can heal on its own."

Alice knew what she was thinking. But she couldn't. As much as she wanted to, she didn't know  _ how,  _ and she'd probably just screw it up anyway. And he was a demon, too. A creature of darkness would certainly complicate things even further.

Anger bubbled up inside her hotly. She cupped her hand around his face, over the familiar fluff of his fur, right under his… horns, not ears. The ones he never liked her to touch when she pet him.

"I should have never told anyone you were a demon," she hissed out.

Bendy trembled against her, leaning into her touch as tears started to fall down his cheeks. He bite his lip to keep himself silent.

"No, A-Alice, you did the right thing. I was a demon hiding in the Upper. It was the right thing to do. B-Besides, you saved my life," he murmured, struggling over words as sobs threatened to explode from him. "I-I would have been killed if you hadn't convinced them to l-l-let m-me-e-e li-ive." He choked on his words as tears poured like a rainstorm down his face. An ugly sob escaped from his mouth.

"It's okay," Alice murmured. "Let it out. You can cry. It's healthy."

At that, the dam broke, and he flung his arms around her, clinging so tightly to her that she was afraid he might crack her spine in half. His body wracked with sobs muffled by the fact he had his head buried in the crook of Alice's neck and shoulder.

Alice kept her arms wrapped tightly around him too, holding onto him as he cried. She felt something cold and wet trickle down her face and splatter onto Bendy's back, and she realized she, too, was crying. She closed her eyes and let her tears fall silently as she rubbed the demon's back comfortingly in circles.


	8. A Break

**Part Eight: A Break**

Alice wrapped the bandage's around Bendy's arm gently.

"I can't believe they didn't even bandage you," she complained hotly.

"Well, they did have a meeting or something they had to get to," Bendy defended them. "They didn't want to waste time. They even cut my training in half."

"Yeah, and almost cut your arm in half," Alice muttered darkly under her breath. Bendy flicked his tail, glancing away.

"They're going to question how I got bandaged," Bendy murmured.

"The guards will," Alice said. "But everyone else will assume it was the guards who bandaged you. The guards are idiots, so they won't question it or else they'll look dumb. And that would prove they've been skipping some of their duties."

"But I'm a demon. They'll get away with not healing a demon. I can heal on my own," Bendy argued.

"Not yet, you can't," Alice shot back. "You don't know how to heal yourself like other demons can. Can you change your shape? Manipulate shadows into weapons? Do you even know what type of demon you are?"

Bendy opened his mouth, then frowned and glanced back down at his lap. "Well, no, but, I don't even know all of the, uh, demon races."

Alice blinked. "Really? They haven't taught you?"

Bendy shook his head. "No. They asked me what kind of demon I was, but I didn't know what that meant. Most assumed I was just lying to protect myself. I've heard them talk about shadow demons and fire demons and dream demons. I think I heard them say I was a shadow demon, but they want to run tests to make sure."

"Well, a shadow demon would make sense. I've only seen you use shadows before. But they say pretty much all demons can manipulate shadows on  _ some  _ level." Alice paused, turning from her work to stare at Bendy. "Wait. Tests?"

"Yeah. They've been testing my… physical strength and health, but now they wanna move onto more, ummm, ss-... Psy-co-loggy-cal?"

"Psychological?" Alice offered.

"Yeah, that. They wanna test that, and my mental abilities, and my possible demon powers like my shadows," Bendy said.

Alice sucked in a breath through her teeth. "Is there anything else they plan on doing?" She wasn't allowed to know what was happening to 'the demon', and she could only manage to sneak out, if she was lucky, once every two weeks without it getting suspicious.

Bendy tilted his head as he thought. "They wanna start proper, uh, obedience training."

_ 'Obedience training? What is he, a dog?'  _ Rage rushed through her like a bull running at a red flag. She knew that the angels wanted him obedient and loyal- of course they did, he was a  _ demon _ , their  _ enemy _ \- but  _ hearing  _ it? And said like that?

She saw Bendy wince, tongue held between his teeth to keep from making noise. Alice blinked, softening her grip on his arm when she realized she had started roughly squeezing it.

"Sorry," Alice sighed. "I just can't believe they still treat you like a dog when you've proven yourself harmless."

Bendy's tail swayed for a beat behind him before he stammered out, "I'm not a dog, I-I'm a cat."

Alice could tell by the way that he stumbled over his words, and forced a weak smile onto his face, that it was an attempt at a joke. It was flat, and didn't really work as Bendy would have liked it too, but Alice appreciated the try.

She smiled at him warmly, reaching out a hand to scratch his cheeks. "Yeah, you are, Kitty."

Bendy smiled back at her, a rumble of pleasure rising in his throat, although it wasn't a purr, not quite. Just a short, soft croon.

But Alice couldn't keep her mind off of what else the angels planned on doing to her friend.

"Anything else?" She asked.

His smile dropped and he shrank into himself a little bit. He hesitantly responded, "They wanna take more blood samples. They already have, but they wanna see if my blood and, um, D-N-A," he said the letters as if he wasn't quite sure what they were or what they meant. Which made sense, seeing as he hadn't exactly ever taken a science class… or an English class, for that matter. ...Did he even know how to read or write?

He continued, "change if I use my shadows, or if I change my shape. Which, uh, I dunno how… yet, I guess."

Fallen halos. She hadn't known about the blood samples. Although she probably should have guessed they had done that.

"Have they talked about doing anything else?" Alice repeated herself. What else had they already done that she hadn't realized? That he hadn't told her?

Bendy glanced away, tail tip flicking back and forth. "N-Not that I remember," he mumbled, downcast.

"Are you sure? They haven't said anything suspicious?" Alice pressed further.

He fidgeted with the blanket below him that they sat on. "I-I don't r-recall anything." His tail curled around him and he shifted away from her.

"...Are you okay, Fluffy?" Alice asked, realizing how mumbly he had become. That was usually a sign he was upset or nervous.

"'M fine," he responded quietly.

"Are you sure?" Alice said softly. "You aren't acting okay. Is something wrong?" She paused in wrapping the bandage around his arm, although she was nearly done. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I just," he stopped, sharply inhaling a breath and fidgeting more. His tail flicked agitatedly behind him. "It's nothing."

"It's okay. I won't get mad," Alice reminded him gently. She wasn't like the other angels who sneered at him. She was his friend.

He ducked his head down. "I want a break," he mumbled out.

A break? From the angels testing him? A break from Alice talking? Had she said something wrong? She had only been asking about what the angels were doing to him-

Oh. He wanted a break from  _ talking  _ about  _ that _ . Of course. She was so feather-brained. It probably wasn't very fun going from being tossed around by bullies straight to his only friend pressuring him into thinking about it.

She pursed her lips, setting her worrying aside. She silently finished wrapping the bandages around his arm. She set what was left of them aside, placing them on the bed.

And then she wrapped her friend in a hug, placing her head on his shoulder. He tensed up for a moment, staring at her. Alice was pretty used to him reacting like this at first to all her hugs.

"I'm sorry, Bendy," she whispered. He relaxed, face flushing. She smiled at his bright cheeks, realizing she, too, missed the days at the edge of the park when she'd laugh and joke, and he'd flush and stutter as he tried to make a pun.

She ran her fingers through his fur, brushing up the sides of his cheeks. "What was the cat like when he realized someone had stolen his food?"

Bendy smiled sweetly. "I dunno."

"He was up in hiss-terics."

Alice felt his body rumble with soft chuckles at her bad joke. His tail flicked against her side. She pulled back from her hug a bit, keeping her arms wrapped around him, smiling brightly at him.

"Hey," he started, tail twitching. "What did the cat realize he would always have, even if his food was stolen?"

Oh? He was confident with his joke this time?

Alice smirked, tilting her chin up. "What?"

"A fur-riend."

Alice's smile dropped in surprise, face lighting up in a strong blush. Breathy laughter left her in the next moment, trying to cover the sudden nerves that had come out of nowhere.

"Yeah, we'll be fur-riends fur-ever, Fluffy," Alice quickly responded.

"Even if they say it's im-paw-ssible?" Bendy questioned, staring deeply into her eyes.

Alice smiled softly, "Of course."


	9. Birthday

**Part Nine: Birthday**

Bendy sunk into his bed, grateful for it's minimal comfort. As hard and "unbouncy" Alice had complained about it being, this was the first bed Bendy had ever had, so he didn't really have much to judge it on. He was grateful for a bed.

His arm stung from all the needles, but he was relieved that today was only a sample-gathering day rather than physical, mental or obedience training. He had gotten used to the physical training. The hits and punches he didn't manage to dodge away from didn't hurt too much, and they rarely used any… really painful weapons, like the spears tipped with holy water. Not that they hadn't tested that out on him once. He still had the scar on his upper arm from it, that he hid from Alice. Mental… was a bit difficult. He didn't know what he should answer "honestly", because sometimes when he was honest they would get really mad at him. He thought lying to an angel was the worst thing ever, but telling the truth could be even worse. And he didn't know what some of the bigger words they used meant. Or the science-y and math-y stuff. As for obedience? Well, he certainly tried his best, but they always found something wrong or untrustworthy about him.

He rolled over, curling the blankets over him. Slow days like this were his favorite. Where they mostly left him alone. He stared up at the blazing light bulb above. The consistent, harsh bright light was annoying, and hurt to look at for too long, but he had grown used to its presence. It was a stark contrast to the darkness of alleys that he had lived his whole life in.

He rubbed the side of his arm, trying to push the tingling out of his mind so he could drift off. He was always so scared to go to sleep, in case angels suddenly burst into his room, but he was so tired from not sleeping properly for two days in a row, and he knew they'd be distracted with his blood and saliva samples for now.

So, why not sleep while he could?

He breathed in and out, steadying his breathing and heartbeat. Alice had told him about that trick, one she had learned from her Grandmama. Her stories about her Grandmama were always Bendy's favorites. She seemed so nice, and kind, but still strong and stubborn.

He covered his face with the blanket to block out as much of the light as he could, letting the darkness consume his vision as he went unconscious…

...only to wake up what seemed like only a second later from gentle prodding at his side.

His eyes cracked upon groggily, his mind disoriented, before he stiffened as he noticed a presence hovering over him. He jerked upwards, throwing the blanket off of his head, although the rest of his body remained tangled in it. His heart beat furiously, terrified, oh so terrified like it always was, before he blinked and let his eyes focus from their panic.

It was just Alice. Of course it was. Any other angel would have been easily heard, shoes clicking loudly against tiles, always talking so obnoxiously. Alice had to sneak around, so she was as silent as a mouse. Why did he always freak out?

It was her, and her warm angel aura, one that felt like a breeze in a hot jungle… not that he really knew what a jungle felt like, in terms of temperature. But, besides that, it was nice to see her again, standing radiant in the light as it highlighted her hair as it curled around her shoulders and face. Her halo bobbed above her head softly and her dark eyes glowed.

"Oh," the angel murmured gently, holding her hands behind her back. "You're awake. Sorry. I was just gonna leave."

"No," Bendy quickly said. "It's okay. I can sleep later. It's fine." He didn't get to see her often, and he treasured every moment with his friend.

"If you say so," she responded tentatively, slowly. She cleared her throat and glanced away, a soft blush on her cheeks, nearly hidden by the brightness of the room. He tilted his head to the side as he studied her. She was never usually this nervous. Maybe once or twice when she was close to getting caught, but she wasn't that panicked kind of nervous. She was a more… embarrassed kind of nervous, the one Bendy used to feel all the time around her, back at the park.

"Are you okay?" Bendy asked.

"Yeah, I'm- I'm fine," she answered, hands fidgeting behind her back. Did she have something with her? His tail flicked curiously.

She hesitated on her words as she continued. "Look, um, this might seem weird, but, uh, I've been thinking."

Anxiety stirred like stew in a pot inside him. Was something wrong? Did something happen? Had she gotten caught? Did someone know what she was doing? Or- or, did she… not wanna sneak out anymore? ...Did she not wanna be friends?

As understandable as that was, he felt his stomach drop in dread. He couldn't even imagine life without her. He looked forward to their little meetings. To seeing her smile, to hearing her talk. What would he have to live for if his life went back to nothing but orders and commands and pain every day, with no break?

"A-About what?" Bendy stuttered out, heart jumping to his throat.

"Well, I realized, if you've lived in the streets pretty much all the time…" She paused, gaze flickering. "Do you know what a birthday is?"

A birthday? He had seen kids having birthday parties. They were a celebration, but of what, Bendy had no idea.

Slowly, he answered, "They're a celebration of… something."

Alice smiled timidly. "Yeah, yeah, they are a celebration. People celebrate the day they were born, every year. It's called a birthday."

"Oh," Bendy said. That did make sense. Birthday. Day of birth. But what did this have to do anything? "Is it your birthday?"

Alice chuckled softly, glancing away. "Heh, n-no."

He frowned, confused. "One of your siblings'?"

She shook her head. "No, no. Bendy, do you know when you were born?"

He froze up. The scientist angels had asked him that over and over, trying to pinpoint his exact age to see if that would help with their data. But he didn't know, he never thought about it. It took him a very long time to even figure out what months and years were. 

"No," he whispered out. "Sorry," he added swiftly, out of instinct.

She smiled reassuringly at him. "It's fine. B-But I was thinking about it and… you've never had a birthday, then, have you?"

He stared at her. "...No?" Was that a requirement? Should he have been having one every year? But if he didn't know when he was born, how could he?

"W-Well," Alice began nervously, cheeks darkening. "I thought that, maybe, y-you should at least have a, uhm, fake birthday. And, so, I might have- no, I did- I, uh, got you a present. I-It's not much! But! I-I thought I should at least get you something…" She ducked her head. She hesitantly moved her hands from behind her, revealing a what she held. A small cookie, a card made of paper and drawn on with makers, and a thin, string woven bracelet.

Bendy didn't know how to react. His mind was stunned, still a bit confused, but… a bubbling warmth was rising within him at the idea that Alice had  _ gotten  _ something for him. Thought about him. Done something for him.

His white cheeks flushed brightly as he beamed at her. "Alice, I don't know what to say. Th-thank you."

"Y-You're welcome, but, it's really not that much…" Alice handed him the items and he gratefully took them. She glanced down almost guiltily. "I wish I could have wrapped everything up into a present, but, uhm, it would have been hard to hide…"

"Alice," Bendy murmured. Were tears pricking the corners of his eyes? "This is more than I've ever gotten in my life. Thank you so much."

Her face was heated with a firm blush as she ducked her head down. A smile seemed to force itself onto her face even as she struggled to keep it away. "I- I- Y-You're welcome," she squeaked out nervously. Bendy could understand now why Alice smiled at him so endearingly whenever he got all nervous and stutter-y. She was cute with her face flushed like that, gaze averted, small smile on her lips as her hair fell in front of her face.

Bendy turned his head down to examine what she had given him. The cookie was a typical chocolate chip cookie, but Bendy had never had a cookie before, so his mouth was practically watering already. And the bracelet was a bit odd compared to other fancy jewelry he had seen. It seemed to be woven, but it wasn't all that neat or perfect, with the knot at the end awkward and lumpy. And the card…

The front of it had a hill with the sun behind it, and words written on the top. The scientists and 'mentors' had quizzed him on what English he knew. He knew how to spell and read more basic words, but the longer a word got, and the less phonetic it was, the harder it was for him to understand the words. Reading road signs and store closing signs was one thing. Books were another. But, in this instance, he was pretty sure the card said "Happy (Fake) Birthday!".

Opening it up, there was a drawing of him and Alice holding hands, bracelets on each. They were both smiling. The drawing wasn't perfect, but to Bendy, it was beautiful. And the words on the page beside it read "We'll always be friends." in black pen.

"I'm sorry it's not super good, or, uh, deep. I-I don't know how much you can read so I didn't want to write out an entire paragraph," Alice threw out swiftly, hands toying with the edge of her skirt anxiously.

"I love it," Bendy said. And that couldn't even describe all the emotions he felt welling up inside him. He felt like crying, hugging her, screaming, and blushing all at once. "I really do."

"The bracelet- I realize you can't really wear it often because, you know, that'd be pretty suspicious- but, uh, it's a friendship bracelet. I made an identical one for myself. They're like- well, I don't know, but best friends always get them for each other… they're special…" Alice rambled on, opening her palm to reveal another bracelet, just like his own.

Best friends.

Bendy's tail could have wagged like a dog at that, if it wasn't so entangled in the blanket still. Need he even explain? Just hearing it come from her mouth made his heart nearly burst with joy.

"And the cookie… I would have preferred a cake, but, again, I can't really bring a cake here without it being suspicious… But I was able to get a cookie. It's not a special kind of cookie, just basic, but I thought it was something," she explained.

"Alice, really, this is all so amazing!" Bendy reassured her. "I-I-" The tears in the corners of his eyes started spilling down. "Alice, I don't know how to thank you. This is… This is the best thing ever."

Her blush seemed to deepen, if that was even possible. "It's not that great."

"But it is! It is to  _ me _ ," Bendy insisted. "I've never even had a cookie before!"

The angel blinked, pushing a strand of hair behind her head. "O-Oh." She cleared her throat again. "Well, then, I guess you better try it?" Her voice raised an octave higher out of nerves.

Bendy chuckled softly. He glanced down at the cookie, pausing, before he snapped it in half the best he could and extended his arm to give it to her.

"Erm-" Alice started.

Bendy cut her off. "The birthday parties I always saw, they shared the cake together. We should share the cookie, shouldn't we?"

"But it's your cookie," Alice protested. "You've never had one before. I can have plenty more if I wanted to."

"But food tastes better shared," he said. "Or at least, that's what I've heard."

She hesitated before she reached out and grabbed the cookie. Timidly, she sat down beside him on the bed, blushing as she took a nibble out of the cookie. Bendy leaned against her as he took his first bite.

It was a bit hard and cold, but it didn't taste like it came from a dumpster or a puddle of sewer water, so it already tasted far better than what Bendy had had most of his life. The chocolate chips melted pleasantly in his mouth. He didn't know food could be so sweet and sugary.

"It tastes amazing," he murmured under his breath. Alice smiled at him. She moved one hand and placed it on his own. Her hand was warm and soft on top of his.

He smiled as he curled closer against her, eyes closing as he took delicate bites out of the cookie. A blissful rumble left his throat.

"You're purring again," Alice whispered, voice as soft as a calm breeze.

"Really? I hadn't noticed," he chuckled. It felt nice to purr again, to lean against her and feel her warmth. Normally, she would pet his fluff and scratch his cheeks, but, her hand on top of his was certainly a welcome replacement, although he couldn't place why.

He didn't want this moment to ever end.

"How long until you have to leave?" He asked, almost against his will. His purring dimmed ever so slightly.

She took her time answering. "...It's nighttime. I was sleeping over at Jake's house, actually. They won't notice I'm gone until morning…" She shifted, moving her hand so that they held each other's rather than have hers resting in his. She pulled him closer. "So I've got until a little before morning."

"Purr-fect," he responded drowsily, saying the cat pun almost on auto-pilot as he leaned against her. The chocolate melting in his mouth taste sweet, but this moment with Alice was oh so sweeter.


End file.
